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Accessibility Navigation Skip to main navigation Skip to main content Skip to related content Toolbar Navigation Home Minister Media Centre Help About DVA Contact Us Feedback A- | A | A+ Eligibility & claims Rehabilitation Pensions & compensation Benefits & services Health & wellbeing Serving members Service providers Ex-service organisations Commemorations | War Graves DVA>Benefits & services>Health cards>Orange card Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander veterans Accommodation Appliances and aids Awards and decorations Benefits & services Factsheets Household Assistance Package Clothing and utilities Country visits and outreach program Death and funeral Family and carers Health cards Gold card White card Orange card TPI Gold card Reproduction of DVA Cards Lost cards Frequently asked questions (FAQs) Suggestions Contacts VVCS - Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service Health care and support services Home services Loans and insurance MRCA benefits Online Services SRCA benefits State, Territory and local council Statistics about the veteran population Transport Service and Defence medical records Veterans’ Pharmaceutical Reimbursement Scheme Orange card Orange Repatriation pharmaceutical benefits cards are issued to Commonwealth and allied veterans and mariners who: have qualifying service from World War I or II and are aged 70 or over and have been resident in Australia for 10 years or more. Orange Card Coverage The DVA orange card enables access to pharmaceutical items available under the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS). The Orange card entitles the holder to purchase pharmaceutical items at concessional rates. The orange card also entitles the holder to receive a fortnightly Pharmaceutical Allowance to help offset the cost of prescriptions. Orange Card limitations The orange card is for pharmaceuticals only and cannot be used for any medical or other health care treatment. Access to a wider range of pharmaceuticals Access is based on clinical need and some items require prior approval from DVA. Orange card holders may also obtain items not listed in the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits. Orange card holders may be prescribed listed items for a use other than that stipulated in the Schedule. Veterans Affairs Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee (VAPAC) VAPAC is responsible for all service delivery aspects of the Department’s pharmaceutical programs. The main component is the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) where VAPAC provides a prior approvals service for medication needing prior financial authorisation before they can be supplied to beneficiaries. VAPAC takes these calls plus calls from pharmacies and the veteran community about all aspects of pharmaceutical treatment. VAPAC also runs two telephone help lines – one for veterans and one for providers (doctors and pharmacists) – for each module of the Department’s Veterans MATES Program 1800 552 580 - general prescriptions query. 1800 500 869 – Medicines Advice and Therapeutic Education Services (MATES) program Factsheets HSV69 Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Card (Orange Card) PDF version of HSV69 | HTML version of HSV69